Galaxy's Child
by queenpearl
Summary: Based on the episode "Galaxy's Child". Enterprise finds a strange creature and for a brief time, becomes a mother.


USS Enterprise-D was traveling to the Gurigas System when she came across an unknown alien species.

"What in the hell?" Picard asked. She shrugged. She didn't understand it much either. "Can you talk to me?" She asked.

The creature's response was a low feral growl. Enterprise shuddered. She sensed high, lethal doses of radiation emanating from the creature. Fearing for her crew's safety she bared her teeth and returned the warning in kind.

"Torpedoes on my mark." Picard ordered, sensing her fear. "Torpedoes armed and ready sir." Data replied. "Fire." Picard ordered.

Enterprise unleashed a barrage of torpedoes. Too late she realized that the creature wasn't trying to harm her, but protect something and that something was its child.

"Oh god." Enterprise whispered. "What have we done?" She asked. "Enterprise, be careful." Picard warned as she approached.

"Child?" She asked. The child, a boy, gave a small whimper before speaking. "Momma?" It asked.

"You're mother isn't here." Enterprise replied. He sniffled. "What's your name?" She asked. "Alma." He replied.

"Come with me Alma, we'll find your mother." Enterprise encouraged. He gave another whimper before rushing to embrace Enterprise.

A bit surprised, Enterprise returned the alien's hug. "Stick close to me and I'll keep us safe, I promise." She whispered.

"Where's your home planet, maybe your mother is there?" She suggested. She didn't have the heat to tell the child that his mother was dead, or worse by her nacelles. "It's Salami." He replied. "That's close by." Enterprise realized.

"Set a course." Picard ordered. "Already way ahead of you." Enterprise growled and set course for the system.

Alma clamped onto Enterprise as she moved forward, nuzzling deep into her chest. A bit surprised, Enterprise asked "What are you doing"?

"I could follow beside you if you prefer." He said. She shook her head. "No, that's alright. You just startled me is all." She replied.

Alma made no response, he just locked himself in place and fell asleep. Smiling fondly, Enterprise nuzzled him. "Sleep well little one." She whispered.

She had traveled for several hours when Alma awoke. "I'm hungry." He said. "What does your kind eat?" She asked.

"We draw energy from our mothers." He replied. A bit confused, Enterprise asked her captain for confirmation. "Like a human breastfeeding." Picard explained. She nodded.

"Well I can't give you anything I'm afraid. I'll need every ounce I have just to reach your planet." Enterprise replied.

He snuggled close to her. Enterprise could see just how frail he was, how vulnerable. She felt the sudden urge to protect this child.

"Alright, but just a little. I don't know how much I can spare from my reserves." She said. He nodded and raising his head to sniff around, he located a small bump on Enterprise's hull. He proceeded to suck on it.

Enterprise gave a small gasp in surprise. "A milking rivet." Alma explained. Enterprise nodded, she never realized that she had such autonomy.

Her reserve store of energy began to exit through a series of tubes that lead directly to what Alma called "milking rivets". The little alien began to feed on the energy output. It felt good, Enterprise actually found the sensation enjoyable. But soon she began to feel tired from the energy loss.

"Alright, that's enough now." She ordered gently. But Alma seemed too focused to hear her. Enterprise opened shuttle bay two and decompressed the hanger to try and get him off but Alma just cried out and went back to suckling.

Enterprise's vision was beginning to blur. She needed to think of something fast. "Adjust the energy frequencies." She said. "La Forge." Picard ordered.

"On it." The chief engineer replied and decreased the energy outputs frequencies. Alma recoiled in disgust. "Yuck!" He exclaimed. By changing the frequency wavelength, Enterprise had "soured the milk" so to speak.

"I tried to warn you." She said, amused. "So you did." He agreed. His attention turned to the larger creatures appearing from a nearby asteroid belt.

"Your relatives." Enterprise said. "They're so big." He breathed. "Will I ever be that big mom?" He asked. Enterprise's eyes widened in surprise. Mom, she was no mother. She killed his mother, how could he think she was his mom?

"Sooner than you think." She assured him. "Go on." She gave him a nudge. "But I want to stay with you." He whined. "You can't, I have a whole fleet to protect. You have your family and I have mine, they need me. You must stay with your own kind." She replied. She fought back tears as she said this. She didn't realize how hard this would be.

"Go on." She said again. Hesitantly, Alma detached from Enterprise and approached the leader of the alien race. "My son." He exclaimed and embraced Alma.

"Dad?" He asked. The bigger creature nodded. He looked at Enterprise. "I am Salak. How can I thank you for bringing my son home to me?" He asked. She shrugged. "Just the word is enough." Enterprise replied. "And his mother?" He asked.

"Dead." Enterprise choked, a surge of guilt coursing through her. She only hoped it was not visible in her eyes. "You are the Federation flagship, Enterprise, aren't you?" He asked. She nodded.

"We are in your debt Enterprise. If there's anything you or your Federation needs, let us know." He replied. "Our planet is always open to visitors." Enterprise dipped her head. "Thank you." She replied.

She turned to Alma. "Now you be a good boy and listen to your father, you understand?" She asked. He nodded. "Yes." He replied. Enterprise turned to go.

Alma rushed towards her before she could get too far and embraced her. Enterprise showed no hesitation this time, she lowered her head to nuzzle him, tears falling from her eyes.

Agony was felt in every fiber of her being. "So this is heartbreak." She realized.

She barely knew Alma, but she saw him as though he was her own son, though it was impossible for her species as all were female but she cared nonetheless. "I will never forget you." He murmured.

"And I will never forget you, ever." She replied, her voice breaking. They broke apart. Alma moved back to stand beside his father. "Farewell Enterprise." He whispered. "Farewell." She replied and raced off back to her own territory.

"Mom huh?" Picard asked. "Jean Luc." Dr. Crusher began. Picard ignored her, seizing the opportunity to rib his ship a little.

"A pity your milk went sour. Junior seemed to be enjoying the breastfeeding." He said. "Jean Luc, don't start." Dr. Crusher again begged and again Picard disregarded her warning.

"What's it feel like, being a mom? Or is it momma or mommy, I get confused." As he pretended to think, Enterprise shifted sharply to one side, giving him a good rattle on the bridge.

La Forge tried to hide a snicker and failed. Even Data found it funny. "I tried to warn you." Dr. Crusher said. "So I suppose that's my reprimand for invading on your paternal life?" Picard asked dryly.

"Serves you right." Enterprise huffed and fell silent. She remained so for the rest of the trip.

Three years later, she was patrolling the same sector when she again came across the unusual pattern of radiation. A young male wormlike creature appeared.

He looked slightly familiar but Enterprise couldn't quite recognize him. Then he got closer. "Alma?" She asked. His eyes widened. "Enterprise?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes." She replied. "You've grown." She noticed. "My kind grows fast." He replied. "I'll say, you're nearly as big as me." She said.

He chuckled. "Come, fly with me." He asked. He turned and Enterprise followed. "I know what happened to my mother." He said. Enterprise bowed her head.

"But I also know of your guilt. It was self-defense, you were merely protecting your crew. My kind didn't know the full extent of what our presence could do to humans. We didn't know radiation was lethal to them. We rarely come in contact with other species despite our wide range of travel." He said.

"After you killed my mother you rescued me. If you had truly done wrong, you would've killed me too but you didn't. You nurtured me, you bonded with me, you saved me Enterprise. You have nothing to be guilty about." Enterprise sighed.

"Thank you Alma." She whispered. "It wasn't my mother you killed though." He said. Confused and a bit curious, Enterprise looked at him.

"It was just some, creature I never knew. My true mother was the next being I encountered, you." He whispered. "Yes, you Enterprise." He said at the look of shock on Enterprise's face. "I don't know what they say on your planet about motherhood and child baring, probably some nonsense about flesh and blood but believe me when I say that you are my mother, Enterprise."

"My planet's not like that at all." She replied. "So I ask you to believe me when I say, you are my son." She whispered.

"Always." He replied. She held him close as she nuzzled him, a low purr sounding in her engines.

"Aww, sweet. The mom and child are reunited at last." Picard sighed dramatically. "Taire Jean Luc." Enterprise growled. "Oui." He agreed.

With that little French exchange, Enterprise and Alma, mother and son, flew deeper into Salak's territory, reunited at last.

Vocabulary: Taire- Shut up!  
>Oui: Okay.<p> 


End file.
